Chapter 9
As Hermione's breath evened out Charlie kept rubbing a hand over her arm and once she was fully asleep he snuck back downstairs.
Bill poured him a cup of coffee and sat at the table looking exhausted.
"I can't believe this." Bill put his head in his hands. "We're supposed to take care of our younger siblings, and by being in the Order we have to take care of Harry and Hermione too."
Charlie sighed. "We couldn't have known."
The pair of them sat in silence for a few more moments before Fleur brought out some small breakfast foods. "I'm going to take something up to Hermione's room."
She was still asleep but with a pained look marring her features. Charlie set the food and coffee down on the table and grabbed one of her hands in his own, the gesture softened her face but it seemed as if the nightmare was still going.
Charlie got comfortable and let Hermione hold onto his hand just in case it did actually help with whatever nightmares she was having. It killed them all to see her like this, to see someone who was so strong and in control of everything in her life cracking into little pieces. But to Charlie it was a searing knife being stabbed into his heart time and time again.
When Hermione finally woke up again Charlie gave her some water and little bites of food before letting Fleur come in with the potions and salves she needed.
"I can't let you run off again."
"Charlie…"
He shook his head and continued, not meeting her eyes. "You could have died, you were tortured and Merlin knows what else could happen. I know that we're not all getting out of this alive but I will make sure that you survive and that includes not letting you run off like you did last time and getting into another situation like this."
A soft knock at the door broke the tense staring match as Harry poked his head in. "Sorry to interrupt, Hermione we need to talk." She nodded and stood out of the bed not looking back at Charlie. "Out of all of us, she's going to be the one to win this thing."
Harry's words sank in as he closed the door behind him to go have a secret meeting. Charlie went downstairs and asked for some parchment and a quill, silently writing.
When Hermione followed her best friends back downstairs they were met by Bill warning them not to trust Griphook, not to work with him and leave themselves vulnerable to deception. And after they agreed to think about what he had said Bill slipped a folded letter to Hermione.
She waited to open it until she was back in bed, knowing that with Charlie not here anymore it was going to upset her.
I couldn't say goodbye to you knowing that it might be the last time that I ever get to see you. I know I told you before Bill's wedding that I couldn't stop you from doing this and I still can't, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it. You and I have gotten to know each other so well over the years and I fell more in love with you each day, Ginny manipulated me into blurting it out only the day after we kissed even though she already knew and I will never regret that. What I will regret is knowing that you're out there away from me and I can't protect you.
Finish this, Hermione. Give us a world we can live in again without the fear of an impending war looming over our heads. Know that I believe in you more than anyone else and I'll know you're alive when my pendant warms up. Think of me often, just like I'll be thinking of you.
Love always, Charlie
Tears were forming behind her eyes, the heat making her close her eyes and letting the fears fall silently into the pillow.
The next morning she strode outside to meet Ron and Harry, her head held high with no emotions crossing her features.
It was time to end the suffering.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY WERE AT BILL'S! WHY WOULDN'T YOU TELL US THAT BEFORE NOW CHARLIE?" Molly's voice echoed through the Burrow as Charlie sat on the couch trying not to let his emotions bubble over.
"Mum, I'm telling you it was just Luna, Mr. Ollivander, Dean Thomas, and a goblin."
"Didn't you say there was a house elf too?"
"He died getting them all to safety."
Molly was bustling around swishing her wand and setting every pair of knitting needles she owned to work before grabbing medicinal salves and potions. "I'm going over there. The least I can do is help."
"Mum, they have it taken care of."
"Charlie, be a dear and take this bag over to Shell Cottage for me."
She wouldn't hear anything other than being able to help, so Charlie rushed to the fireplace and flooed over to the Cottage again. "Mum's coming. I'm sorry, she asked where I was all day I didn't mention Harry, Ron, or Hermione just the others."
Just as the words were out of his mouth Molly came through the fire place, her knitting was paused in a bag which she set down to resume the clicking needles. "I don't want to intrude dears, just want to help as much as I can."
"She feels useless cooped up in the house all the time," Bill explained after his mother had climbed the stairs. "Might as well let her do this. It'll give you a break Fleur."
"A dragon flew out of Gringotts." Charlie still couldn't wrap his mind around what had happened. He was working with the twins when it happened, the three of them running out into the Alley and watching as the creature perched on top of the tall white building before spitting fire and flying off again.
"Did anyone see the three people riding the dragon?" George's mouth was still wide open but the dragon was long gone.
Charlie couldn't form coherent thoughts but the pendant was warm against his chest. "So it was true."
"You don't think it was them, do you?" George went on as the three of them returned to the shop.
"I hope not." The oldest mumbled going back to restocking shelves.
Fred on the other hand pumped his fist in the air and shouted, "That would be wicked!"
For the rest of the day Charlie kept reaching up for his pendant to feel it warm against his skin, it was the only way to not break down and worry that Hermione wasn't alive anymore. Of course, she could still be injured but he didn't let it worry him too much.
When he got back to the Burrow that night Molly nearly knocked back into the fire. "Is it true! The Gringott's dragon escaped?"
"Not escaped mum," He said taking her hands in his and moving away from the flames. "They rode it out of the bank."
"Who? Who is they?" But Charlie only had to look at her for it to register. "Oh...oh merlin, no!"
"Calm down, let's have a seat. They didn't look hurt and I know Hermione is still alive. Why didn't I make something like that for all of them?"
Molly's eyes darted up to her son's face. "What does that mean?"
Realizing then that Charlie hadn't actually told anyone else about the locket, bringing it up to his mother was a mistake. "The locket that Hermione wears, I gave it to her for Christmas a few years ago, it warms up when I'm thinking of her. And right before Bill's wedding she gave me a necklace with the same enchantment on it so I know when she's thinking about me."
"So that's how you knew she was alright." He nodded. "Well you're right you should have made something so we knew they were alive! But, looking back it seems like a simple idea when really it just never crossed your mind."
They all went back to not knowing what was going on, they made surprise visits to Lee's radio show and sent out words of encouragement to the three as they continued trying to find horcruxes.
The day everyone was waiting for finally came, and no one was prepared.
Lupin rapped on the door to the Burrow and limped into the kitchen growling that they all needed to get to the Hog's Head pub right away. Charlie, Molly, and Arthur all apparated directly there to find the twins and the rest of the order had already arrived.
"Got a message that Potter was here with Weasley and Granger. Aberforth has a secret passage to them."
They all followed Remus down the tunnel until opening in the Room of Requirement. There were too many students in the room and it wasn't easy trying to find the few people you were actually looking for.
Molly and Arthur raced through the crowd followed by the rest of the Weasley clan towards the other redheads. Ron and Ginny were standing together discussing the plan that had been put into place and both of them got hugged by each of their family members, Ron longer and more fiercely. It was a few minutes before anyone even noticed that Percy had clambered out of the portrait of Arianna but when they did he started yelling his apologies to anyone who would listen.
Harry and Hermione were a few feet away and hadn't noticed the Weasley's arrive in the chaos. It wasn't until Harry looked up and noticed Charlie's eyes unwavering from Hermione did he nudge his best friend and point.
"Charlie." She breathed taking a step towards him before bolting into a full run. Charlie met her and immediately wrapped his arms around her small frame, her hair was braided and hanging down her back and the bags under her eyes were still there, and her clothes smelled like earth and fire smoke.
But all he could think about how was her arms seemed to be shaking as she held him close. "Hermione, thank merlin you're okay."
Harry had moved away from them to greet Mrs. Weasley who worried herself over his state and promised him as many meals as he wanted.
"Did anyone else know about this?" Ron asked pointing to his brother and best friend enveloped in each other.
"Most of us did, yeah."
After another minute of hugging Charlie pulled back and kissed Hermione soundly on the lips.
"You know we're not done right?" He nodded.
Neville announced that the current students had to go to a meeting Snape had called to find Harry and the others should wait in the Entrance Hall. They all made their way outside of the Great Hall and waited to shock Snape with their arrival.
It was only a few moments before Hermione turned Charlie to face her. "I love you."
"I love you too." He said kissing her before tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Be careful."
"Find me when it's all over." Without another word she and Ron ran off.
A student started screaming, then another, and another. You-Know-Who's voice rang out through the hall, everyone stopped at once listening to the message.
The silence following was almost as frightening as the voice, but when a smug looking Slytherin girl pointed to Harry and yelled for someone to grab him. "Mr. Filch," McGonagall yelled above the growing voices. "Please escort the Slytherins out of the hall."
"Where should I take them?"
"The dungeons will do." Everyone cheered as the Slytherins were led out and anyone under seventeen was led back up the Room of Requirement by a few of the remaining prefects. "I cannot ask any of you to stay here and fight, and I will not allow anyone underage to stay."
Molly and Arthur were adamant that Ginny be taken back up to the Room of Requirement, she was too young to be fighting and even though she tried to change their minds in the end Ginny Weasley went with the rest of the underage students to the Room.
Everyone that stayed was sent to different parts of the castle to set the protective charms and to fight off the oncoming army. Charlie was sent with a few of the older students out to the front lawn of the castle teaching them the charm to place a protective bubble around them all.
The fighting started before anyone could blink an eye, there was at least one death eater fighting against someone from the order or Hogwarts, there were giants and trolls throwing people with their clubs, and Fenrir Greyback was tearing into people with his teeth.
Charlie tried not to think about Hermione and whether or not she was safe, he tried not to worry about her or wonder where in the castle she was. His necklace was warm letting Charlie know that we was alive, and at this point that was all that mattered.
It seemed like forever until the snake-like voice hissed through everyone's mind calling off his army and letting everyone regroup. Of course, helping everyone into the Great Hall took almost the entire hour that Harry had to get to the Forbidden Forest and just as he was helping bring the last injured person inside he realized that his family was crowded around together.
He tried to ask what was going on when he noticed the red haired person lying on the floor. "No."
His brothers gasped onto him, holding each other and letting the tears fall the Weasley's mourned together. Tonk and Lupin laid beside Fred, so many of their friends and loved ones scattered throughout the room. Several Hogwarts students were being seen to as a few others were brought in and covered with sheets.
Charlie was numb, he couldn't even feel Ginny clinging to his side or Hermione's fingers lace through his own. None of the Weasley's noticed when Harry slipped out of the Great Hall only grabbing their attention when a commotion came from the courtyard making everyone rush out.
Hagrid's tears rolled down his beard and Voldemort stood in front of his followers sneering at the others.
"Who's that he's carrying?" Ginny asked stopping short at the sight of Harry limp in Hagrid's arms.
Charlie was still trying to figure out what was going on as Neville stepped forward carrying the Sorting Hat, he gave a speech and pulled the sword of Gryffindor from the hat making everyone gasp, it was only then that Charlie focused again.
Harry jumped out of Hagrid's arms and everyone pulled out their wands getting ready for another fight which happened almost instantly. People jumped forward shouting curses and spells, their exhaustion long forgotten. No one saw where Harry and Voldemort ran off to, the death eaters shouting dark curses at the others and on top of the substantial losses already from the day there were hundreds more.
Bodies littered the courtyard and corridors but none of them were bright red hair or a mess of brown curls pulled into a braid. His parents kept Ginny close to them while Charlie continued to fight alongside of George.
And just as it was starting it all ended.
Everyone was brought back into the Great Hall for medical attention, families and friends were reunited as people limped back in and Charlie help his breath waiting for Hermione to walk through the doors.
"Where is she?" Even as he muttered it Charlie noticed that Ron wasn't there either. "Has anyone seen Hermione?"
The Weasley's all shook their heads watching as Mrs. Weasley handed out the sandwiches that had been sent up from the kitchen. It seemed like forever until the Golden Trio came walking back through the doors.
They all looked exhausted, as if they hadn't had a good nights sleep in years. At seventeen and eighteen years old each of them looked as if they had seen more than most people do in a lifetime, it broke Charlie's heart. But the moment Hermione caught his eye and smiled broadly he knew that was all over.
She ran towards him throwing her arms around his neck and allowing herself to be picked up off the floor, even after Charlie setting her back on the ground they stood holding one another for as long as they could. No one noticed, and if they did no one cared there were enough couples glued together as it was.
"I'm so glad you're alive." Charlie murmured into her hair.
Hermione pulled away to look at him. "I couldn't die, I couldn't leave you."
A/N: I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I know the last few chapters were a little rushed but I didn't think that the battle needed to be rewritten and instead wanted to get to the Charlie/Hermione parts.